Daily Current Affairs and GK | 6 February 2026

Topic: Sports

1. Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu created a new national record in the  snatch, clean and jerk, and overall total.

• Chanu lifted 205kg at the National Weightlifting Championships 2026 and broke three national records in the women's 48 kg category.
• This performance earned her the gold medal. Radha Soni and Komal Kohar secured silver and bronze, respectively.
• She opened her campaign with an 89kg lift in the snatch. She then lifted 116kg in the clean and jerk.
• Her combined total exceeded her previous best by 6kg.
• Earlier, she had a record of a 199kg total at the 2022 World Weightlifting Championships in Forde.
• She previously owned the national total record in the 48kg division.
• Mirabai won Olympic silver at the Tokyo 2020 Games in the 49kg category.
• She won gold at the 2023 Commonwealth Championships.
• Mirabai is expected to move to the 53kg category after the Asian Games.
• All her major international medals have come in sub-50kg category.
• National Weightlifting Championship 2026 are being held in Modinagar, Uttar Pradesh.
• About 790 athletes from 30 States and U.T.s. and three Departmental Boards will take part in championship from 3-14 February 2026.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

2. External Affairs Minister Jaishankar emphasized the need for global cooperation on critical minerals.

• The need for structured global cooperation on critical minerals was highlighted by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Washington DC.
• His remarks were delivered at the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial hosted by the United States.
• Challenges arising from excessive concentration of critical mineral supply chains were emphasised during the address.
• India’s support for the FORGE initiative on critical minerals was formally conveyed at the ministerial.
• National initiatives such as the Critical Minerals Mission and Rare Earth Corridors were highlighted as steps toward resilience.
• The importance of responsible commerce and de-risking global supply chains was underlined.
• US Vice President J.D. Vance stressed that critical minerals are as essential as oil and gas for modern economies.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for collective innovation and affordability in supply chains.
• Before the ministerial meeting began, Dr. Jaishankar met with several global counterparts, including Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Singapore's Vivian Balakrishnan.
• The United States hosted the first Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington, D.C.
• Delegations from more than 50 countries participated to enhance cooperation on securing and diversifying global critical mineral supply chains.